The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Dr Abubakar Dzukogi has said that the institution would revamp ailing local industries in its host communities through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Dzukogi stated this Sunday at the commissioning/handing over of a shea butter processing shed constructed by the institution at Ekosa village.
He said reviving the industries through use of modern technology was necessary to improve their production processes and products.
“Some months back, we were here for the foundation laying ceremony and today the project has been completed.
“Corporate social responsibility to our immediate communities is very dear to my heart.
“Indeed it is one of my seven point agenda and that is why despite difficult financial situation of the polytechnic, we still try to do something.
“Our main focus is towards revamping the dying local industries by introducing to them, modern technology that can improve their production process and products,” he said.
In his remarks, the chairman of the polytechnic’s CSR committee, Mr Usman Okene, said the shed was to reduce the hardship people of the community go through in making shea butter.
“The committee went round, identified those traditional industries and discussed with the operators to identifying their peculiar needs so that we can be of help.
“Here at Ekosa, we discovered that they stay under sun/rain in their processing of the shea butter and that is why we are commissioning a shed for them today.
“They also need other things such as specialised machineries to ease their work. Those ones may come later,” he added.
Okene stated that some of the industries that “require our interventions include locust beans processing at Kangi Makun, Masaga glasswork, rice milling along Fogun among others.”
Also speaking, the representative of the community, Mohammed Ndatsu, said they would take full advantage of the shed to bring about increased production.
In the same vein, the chairperson of the shea butter processing association, Zainab Mohammed, appreciated the institution for the gesture, adding that it was a great relief as they had suffered for long.
Mohammed used the opportunity to solicit for soft loans from the institution to enable them expand their businesses.
The electro-manual operated blowers, which had three step speeds, were also presented to Dokodza and Tswatamukun communities by the polytechnic. (NAN)
